New hurricane season record as 'historic' El Niño leaves Atlantic eerily quiet
The Atlantic hurricane season is experiencing a record-breaking lack of activity, with no hurricanes formed by the typical peak of the season. Experts attribute this unusual quietness to a historic El Niño event, which is suppressing tropical development in the Atlantic basin.
Why it matters
Understanding climate patterns like El Niño is essential for disaster preparedness and assessing the impact of global weather phenomena.
Image source, Brandon Bell/Getty Images Image caption, The shoreline in Galveston, Texas during a tropical storm warning on June 17, 2026 in Galveston, Texas
A new hurricane season record is likely to be set this week as a historic and still strengthening El Niño stifles tropical development in the Atlantic.
To date, no hurricanes have formed in the basin, despite this week marking the peak of the season on average - and there's no sign of development in the near future.
It means a new record is likely to be set for the latest date in the satellite era (1960s onward) without an Atlantic hurricane forming.
Currently, the record is 11 September, set in 2002 and 2013.
In an average season, there would have been eight named tropical storms and three hurricanes by this point.
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